Supervision and Support of Foster Carers

SCOPE OF THIS CHAPTER

RELATED GUIDANCE

AMENDMENT

In October 2017, Section 5, Support Provided by the Supervising Social Worker (During Placement) was updated to reflect that the Safer Caring Plan, any changes in household circumstances along with any health and safety issues including the addition of any new pets and the environment in which they are kept should be reviewed as required.

Contents

1. Introduction

All approved foster carers will have an allocated, suitably qualified supervising social worker. The allocated supervising social worker is responsible for supervising and supporting carers, ensuring that they have the necessary guidance, support and direction to maintain a quality service, including safe caring practices. This will include an understanding that they must work within the National Minimum Standards for Fostering and the agency's policies, procedures and guidance.

However, it is the social worker of the child or children in the foster placement who holds responsibility for specific advice or support in relation to the child and his or her Care Plan and Placement Plan.

The supervising social worker must also ensure that the foster carers' training and development needs are identified, and that newly approved carers work towards completing the Training, Support and Development Standards for Foster Carers Workbook. They also have the responsibility to ensure foster carers are familiar and made aware of new policies and guidance.

2. Planned Supervision Visits

A programme of supervision visits should be set up and agreed between the foster carer and the supervising social worker from the time of the foster carer's approval, and endorsed by the supervising social worker's line manager.

Supervision is essentially a supportive and enabling two way process to:

Ensure the foster carers understand how they contribute to the local authority's services for children;

Enable foster carers to contribute effectively to the plans for the children for whom they are caring;

3. Frequency of Supervision

Additional visits may be made for the purposes of support (to the foster carer or any member of the foster family) with telephone contact at least every four weeks.

4. Unannounced Visits

There should also be unannounced visits at least once a year. The main purpose of the unannounced visit will be to look at the home environment that a child is living in.

The unannounced visits will be undertaken by the foster carers' supervising social worker who will need to check:

Who is in the home;

Who is looking after the child;

If the carer is not at home, what arrangements have been made for the care of the child.

If the foster carers are not at home, the supervising social worker should leave a note for the foster carers to say that s/he has visited.

If the foster carers are not at home but the child is present and being looked after by someone else, the social worker should check the identity of that person but should not continue with the visit.

Unannounced visits should be recorded.

There should not ordinarily be a regular programme of unannounced visits without particular reason – for example if a foster carer is being closely monitored. In such an event the reason for such will be explained to the foster carer.

5. Support Provided by the Supervising Social Worker

Supervising social workers should ensure the following tasks are done:

Post Approval

Give Foster Carer Agreement to the carer: 2 copies to be signed and one returned and placed on the carer's file;

Support carers with any specialist issues for disabled children for e.g. support in completing applications for Carers' Allowance, Disabled Living Allowance etc;

Pre-Placement

Complete risk assessments surrounding bedroom sharing (each child over 3 has their own bedroom or, where this is not possible, the sharing of the bedroom has been agreed by the placing authority), mixing with other children in home, etc. Discuss and check equipment (especially in the child's bedroom) and ensure it is appropriate to the age of the child in placement;

Take part in discussions about potential placements;

Take part in planning meetings regarding placements;

Ensure that the child's social worker give the foster family full information about children about to be placed, including a history of abuse or suspected abuse and the reason for the placement, the child's educational, medical, religious, racial, linguistic and cultural needs;

Discuss issues relevant to contact with birth parents and other family members;

Discuss how child's health needs are promoted and how children should be encouraged to adopt a healthy lifestyle;

Assist carers in dealing with other relevant services such as health and education;

Discuss appropriate training to provide appropriate care when caring for children with complex health needs;

Assist carer with training needs for appropriate safer care practice, including skills to care for children who have been abused. For foster carers who offer placements to disabled children, this includes training specifically on issues affecting disabled children;

Discuss financial issues with the carer: allowances, pocket money, leisure activities, toiletries and travelling etc. and the importance of complying with the terms of the Council's insurance policy for carers;

Enquire about holiday plans the carers have made, and if the child is able to join them? If not the carer must inform the child's social worker so alternative arrangements can be made;

Exchange contact numbers with all relevant members of the family, including out of hours support;

That arrangements are made for the provision of specialist equipment for disabled children;

Set date of first visit after the placement;

Let the social worker for a child already in placement know when another child is placed;

Provide carers with training and written policy on behaviour management.

During Placement

Where necessary, check and follow up on all issues raised during the placement. Discuss any areas of concern with foster carers and ensure appropriate support/advice is addressed and in place at the time rather than waiting for reviews;

Provide foster carers with breaks from caring as appropriate, which must meet the needs of placed children;

Take part in any Strategy Meetings and Section 47 Enquiry relating to the foster family. Be involved in interviews/support as agreed;

Ensure the supervising social worker and the foster carers receive invitations to child's Looked After Reviews and Child Protection Conferences, and attend when appropriate;

Review the Safer Caring Plan and any changes in household circumstances;

Assess and review any health and safety issues within the fostering household including the addition of any new pets and the environment in which they are kept;

Make unannounced visits as required;

Update Disclosure and Barring Service checks on members of the family every three years, including those reaching eighteen years of age, and other persons who come to live at the home, who are eighteen plus;

Update medicals on the carers every 2 years or as necessary;

Record contact with carers;

Provide reports for Panel as required under the relevant procedures;

Where appropriate contribute to Court Reports as agreed with child's social worker;

Discuss how the carers can support young people into adulthood;

At End of Placement

Support the family as much as possible in what can be a very difficult time;

Discuss fully with the carer and their family all the issues that have led to any unplanned end of a placement and identify any learning/training opportunities;

Assist the foster carer to complete their end of placement report if required;